A Very Long Walk

Today I had a fun day in DC with my new friend Alyce and her boys.  It was a very rainy day.  We nearly canceled our trip because of torrential rains and flash flood warnings, but then we thought, "meh, it just rain!"  I later found out it was not JUST rain.  It was only a five minute walk to The Mint from the Metro station, but by the time I got in the door, my skirt was soaked and water had seeped into my "rain-coat."  The Little, of course, was dry and content.  I learned how to make money, which is great, because I haven't made any in about three months. 
After the tour was over, we parted ways and I wandered off to the National Mall to see some monuments.  My first stop was the World War II memorial, which was very moving.  Then, I took the long trek past the reflection pool to say hello to Mister Lincoln and strolled through the Korean War Memorial on my way back.
It was fun, but I couldn't help but thinking that it would be so much more fun on a bike.  Everything is spread out, and the park covers MILES of property.  You could never see everything in one day on foot and still have time to enjoy it.  I never did get to see the Capitol up close or the Vietnam Memorial.
I also had to wonder a little bit about the Washington Memorial as I made my way back to humanity.  What is it memorializing?  Washington?  Gigantic sculptures you can see from space?  Tourism?  I never did come up with an answer I felt content with.
After all that walking I was ridiculously hungry, so I skipped the Smithsonian and the National Sculpture Garden and headed back to the real world for something to eat.  I found a Potbelly Deli (hooray!) and got a sandwich.  I know it's kind of a cop-out to go to a chain in a new city, but they don't have small businesses in DC, seriously.  Besides, when you're hungry, you don't take chances.  You go with what you know is good. 
At that point, my back was sore from carrying the Little all day, and my legs were about to give out, but then I just HAD to stop by the White House on my way to the station (which really ended up being in the opposite direction.)  So I walked by and said hello to Mr. and Mrs. Obama and admired their pretty vegetable garden (which didn't look quite big enough to feed the White House, in my opinion.)
Now I'm happy to be home, warm and dry with my feet propped up and my jammies on.  And the Little went to bed without any complaints.  And David actually came home from school tonight.  And he's actually taking a shower.  Life is good.

Stuff I saw:

Check it Out, Grandma!

It's my baby's three-month birthday today.  Unfortunately, I don't have the special monthly picture, because the batteries in my camera died.  Here's some other cool stuff:

Look at my awesome socks!

Thanks Auntie Debbie!

I can blow bubbles!

See?

Yay!

I can hold my head up and roll over too!

Thanks for reading my blog!  Bye bye!

The Medieval Kitchen

Yesterday was not a good day.  I got sick, and I’m not sure why, but about 2pm I got a migraine and started vomiting.  I also called the bus company today hoping someone had returned my wallet from Friday, but no one had.  But I do have a delicious peach pie, and I’m sure I’ll thoroughly enjoy it once I can stomach it.

The day before, I was feeling southern and domestic so I decided to have some kitchen fun.  I made my peach pie, which was way easier than it should have been.  All you do is cover peaches in sugar, flour and cinnamon and throw them in a crust.  I almost feel guilty that it tastes so good when I hardly had to work for it.

I did realize something though, that I probably knew all along but never really understood, that I have an extremely under-equipped kitchen.  There are so many reasons that I might as well make a list:

• Rolling Pin:  I didn’t figure this one out until it was time to roll out my top crust for my pie.  Quick Fix: peanut butter jar
• Basting Brush:  How do you brush the top of your pie with milk?  With your fingers, of course
• Can Opener: Too bad I bought all that canned soup…
• Blender: How do you make green monster smoothies with no blender?  You don’t.   And you can forget about that chocolate banana shake too.
• Mixer:  This one really isn’t a big deal if you want to tone your arms and you own a wooden spoon
• Wooden Spoon  …
• Tea Kettle:  Although, I suppose my 4qt saucepan could do the trick.  But what kind of barista doesn’t own a tea kettle, or a French press for that matter?
• And while we’re on the subject, a tea pot would be nice, if I ever do have any hot water to make it with.

Then just when I am about to throw a fit because I can’t make yet another mouth-wateringly delicious recipe, I see this:

And her mouth is watering all over her favorite giraffe. 

How can I be upset?  It’s just not fair.

You've Been Wondering...

Today is a lazy day.  After not seeing David for two days, no thanks to school, we decided to sleep in this morning.  Unfortunately, that meant I would miss the Market Square Farmer's Market for the first time.  I promised David I'd make a peach pie, so I'll have to make a special trip to Whole Foods this weekend.  The peach season is quickly coming to a close here in the South, so I need to get my apron on and cook it up before they're gone.

I've been slacking a little on the blog.  I felt guilty and ashamed for skipping the top tens because of my inadequacy as a stay-at-home-mom.  But, now I'm back and courage and ferocity!  As for my Top Ten Favorite Recipes,  I'm not going to list the actual recipes, because they are not my own.  All you have to know is that I love them.

Top Ten Favorite Recipes

Chicken and Dumpling Soup  In my opinion, there is nothing better.  I ask my mother for this every year for my birthday.  So filling and mouth-watering.  (I'm drooling just thinking about it.)

French Silk Pie  I tried making this once and it didn't turn out so well.  I prefer to be lazy and just order it from Perkins.  I'm a sell-out, I know.

My mom's Raspberry Cream Pie.   Particularly with her  Pretzel Pie Crust.  I love anything that combines crunchy, salty, creamy and sweet.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches  I.  LOVE.  CHEESE.  I learned to master this one at a very young age.

Marinara Pasta Sauce  So easy, so tasty.  I love pasta sauce from fresh tomatoes.  I'll never eat canned tomato sauce again.  Plus, the bigger the mess you make, the better it tastes.

Pumpkin Bread  I've made this for every family gathering for several years.  I try a different combo every time, the only one I didn't like had molasses in it.

Megan's Borscht  I requested this specifically at my pot-luck wedding.

Iced Mochas  This combines three of my favorite things, chocolate, milk and coffee.  Plus, this is usually a safe bet at any coffee shop.  It's pretty hard to screw up.

Double-Dipped French Toast  I got this idea from Emily at The Front Burner Blog.  You just fry your french toast, dip it and fry it again.  Double-dipped and twice as tasty.

Café Miel  It's a latté with honey and cinnamon.  It's basically a hug in a cup.


Speaking of Iced Mochas, I've been trying to make them at home, using my Italian Moka pot.  It's pretty close, but a little weaker than the real thing.  I can't have my coffee straight any more because it tastes like burnt rubber from leaving it on the stove too long, too many times.

Enough about me.  I know you've all been wondering what the heck is up with the Little. 

She's getting very strong.  She has been holding her head up on her own very well.  She gets a great workout from all her fussing.  When we go out for walks, she loves to look around at the leaves and the lights, and she always makes people's heads turn when they see her big round blue eyes  She still loves to talk, and she comes up with new sounds all the time.  I've even caught her giggling once or twice.  

Unfortunately, the poor little precious has outgrown her baby-zantac, so her acid reflux has come back with a vengeance.  She tells me about it every day.

 We have been primarily been using the Baby Bjørn to carry her, but lately I've started using the Moby d Wrap.  I didn't realize how much more comfortable this was until after weeks of using the other carrier.  Unfortunately, it is also a lot warmer and since the temperature has been near ninety all week, I haven't been able to really use it.

 Now I'm off with the peanut head to see her daddy.  He promised me we'd have family painting night.  I really need to make something to fill our condo.  As David said,  it's looking a little too institutional.

Excuses

Today was pretty uneventful.  I stayed home trying to find things to do so I wouldn't have to go outside.  This is an exceptionally unusual circumstance, since usually trying to find ways to avoid going inside.  But, like I said yesterday, it is hotter than sin in Alexandria.  This weather has been making me homesick for Minnesota.  For the gusty, rainy, cool Autumn and brightly colored leaves.  And for my bright yellow fall coat.  Mostly for my coat.  It's been sadly hanging in my closet feeling rejected.

It keeps murmuring to itself about the way things used to be...

Do you ever look back at pictures of yourself and wonder, "Who is that?"  I just experienced this going through my old Scotland pictures from just two years ago.  Wierd.

Anyway, I've given up on the Top Tens for today, but you should check out Lori's.  I have nothing to contribute to the Household tips category, not even snarky comments.  I'm really THAT bad of a home maker.  If I could pay someone just to fold my laundry, I would. 

I do like to dress up and pretend I'm an excellent house-wife though.  I have a long history of purposely looking ridiculous and keeping documented proof.  Unfortunately, David is a really bad sport when it comes to taking pictures.  So, if I ever want to be silly again, I'll have to buy myself a tripod.

Rolling my eyes at David.

And here's some cute stuff.

Top Ten Ways to Spend Too Much Money

Yesterday I did a silly thing.  I thought, "since babysitting yesterday was so easy, I'll go shopping today!"  Bad idea.  I attempted to run to the grocery store a mile away for dipes between feedings, but ended up getting home late.  I had to practically run home before the kids had a fit, and it was up hill the whole way.  So that combined with trying to tote around a baby that's twice the size that I'm used to has me completely worn out today.  Not to mention that it's hotter than sin in Alexandria today.  I'm going to start a rule that I don't leave the house if it's hotter than 85 degrees out.  I need something to rebel against anyway. 

Now, for day two in the best of the Top Ten series.  Today's is a mix of Minnesotan and Virginian, since we haven't been out much lately.

Top Ten Restaurants


Luna Rossa Trattoria, Stillwater MN:  I may be a little biased, since I worked there for three years, but seriously, I've never had better Italian food in my life.  I had some variation of the Penne Villagio almost every day that I worked there.  I just could not get enough of that goat cheese!  Plus I must have had and entire loaf of homemade bread a day, besides the stuff I brought home with me.   I dearly miss all the fresh Italian cooking and the oodles of gelato samples I had when I ran the Espresso Bar.  Those are sweet memories indeed.

Kopplin's Coffee, St Paul, MN  Okay, so it's not technically a restaurant but the coffee is seriously the stuff of daydreams.  Mr.  Kopplin  roasts his beans on site, has won roasting and barista competitions, and has a beautiful list of single origin coffees and espressos that look like a tablet written from God himself.  All sac-religiousness aside,  if you drink coffee, you really need to stop here.  You will believe you'd died and gone to heaven.

The Tea House, St Paul, MN  I was born a picky eater and have been trying to coax myself out of it for years.  I swore I hated Chinese food for a long time, and I think this place truly converted me.  The meals are served family style, so even though the food's not cheap,  You can split the bill with as many people as you decide to invite.  I love their beef broccoli stir-fry.  yummmmm

The King Street Cafe, Alexandria, VA  There are a lot of expensive places here, but none seem to be worth the hype in my experience.  This place is probably the cheapest place in town, and it has amazing wrap sandwiches.  I've had their California Wrap, cool and refreshing and just a little spicy.  Their smoothies are good too, but pretty overpriced.

Random Irish bar on King St, Alexandria, VA  I know, I should know the name but I don't.  They have a cheap Sunday Champagne Brunch for $9 that comes with a lot of food and a glass of champagne.  I got french toast that was probably the best I've had, and I'm picky about french toast.  Not so wild about the potatoes I got though.

Perkins Restaurant, Old Hudson Road, St Paul, MN  Delightfully bad service, open at all hours, conveniently located.  David and I usually split the Fantastic 12.

Al's Breakfast, Dinkytown, Minneapolis, MN  It's only open for breakfast, and it's not for the claustrophobic.  It's built into an alleyway and you have to stand against the wall to wait for a seat at the bar.  The servers are full of BS (that's short for banana splits, Mom) but the food is great.  Great no-frills diner with horrible coffee.

Denny's Restaurant, Hudson, WI  I used to go here with my friend Anna during my rebellious days.  (I mean DAYS, literally.)  They were open 24 hours for the drunk kids and they had a smoking section for my chain-smoking friends.  I, of course, was the mature, sober person.

The Nova, Hudson, WI  This is a fairly recent addition to Cassanova's Liquor store.  They have good appetizers and a huge wine selection.  It's also the classiest place in Hudson (by default, of course; there's not much competition in that category.)

Selma's Ice Cream, Afton, MN (RIP)  After a long day at the beach, I always stopped by here for my Zanzibar ice cream.  I even convinced some of my crazy friends to bike there from Hudson with me.  I will miss you dearly, Selma's.

Top Ten Ego Buidlers

I have been doing nothing interesting lately.  I stayed home yesterday and today for the first time since I moved.  Going on the bus with two 3 month old babies doesn't sound ideal, so I have been taking it easy at home.   Today is only the kids' second day together, and they are already doing everything at the same time.  You would have laughed to see me try to feed them, burp them and change them all at the same time. 
My friend Lori has started a fun series of top tens that I thought I would participate in.  Today's top ten is on beauty products.  If you know anything about me, you know I don't wear makeup ever, except for weddings and interviews.  It'll be interesting to see what i pull out of my bag for this one...

TOP TEN BEAUTY PRODUCTS:

Dove Antiperspirant:  Sensitive care, fragrance free:  Deodorant, really?  Yes.  If you could see the way my pits break out with any other antiperspirant, you would understand.  David has been known to use this on occasion as well.  (Don't tell him I told you.)

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Face Lotion, SPF 15:  I don't know if it was the fact that I stopped wearing makeup, or that I started using this lotion, but I haven't had a breakout since.

Tom's Natural Anticavity Flouride toothpaste:  Tastes funny, like real spearmint.  I have to watch David carefully with this or it'll be gone in a week.

Nature's Gate Colloidal Oatmeal Lotion:  I found this at the co-op.  I have really dry skin, and this was the first lotion to ever my make skin stop flaking.  Plus, it smells like beer, which I also like.

Nature's Gate Biotin Strengthening Shampoo:  I have have thin hair that, if left to its own devices, will lay around on my head all day and do nothing.  This shampoo gives my hair a good kick in the rear and makes it do what I say.  Thank you, shampoo.

Melaluca,  Replenish Hydrating Fruit Mask:   This makes my face so soft and supple, and it smells like strawberries.  It doesn't taste like strawberries, though...

BeautiControl Microderm Eye-x-cel:  I don't know if this actually works, but it makes me feel better about the future of my face.

Rimmel London, Trio Eye Shadow, 730 Spices:  When I do, on rare occasion, wear makeup, I always wear this.  The colors are a little sweet and innocent, and a little sexy.  The pink on my brow bone is my version of the lip-plumper pouty-lip.  Does that make sense?

Banana Republic Alabaster eau de parfum:  Does perfume count?  I'm getting desperate, so yes.  When I wear this I feel a good mix of sexy, professional, exotic and important.  I don't think David notices, though. 

Baby-Zantac:  If it were not for this, the Little would never sleep.  And neither would I.

The Weekend

It has been a very productive couple of days for us.  Friday I got a job as a nanny.  Now I just need a Saturday coffee job to cut down my coffee budget!   The little boy I'll be watching is just two days older than my Little.  This is a huge blessing because we knew I had to get a job, but we didn’t know who would take care of the baby.  We also wanted to find a play buddy for Little so she wouldn’t have to suffer the awkward only-child syndrome like I did as a child.  Now we’ve solved two issues in one go!

Saturday I went to the farmer’s market in Market Square.  This is another reason I needed a job; there is just too much fresh food here!  The market was HUGE.  There were at least ten produce vendors, not to mention all the free-range meat farmers, bakeries, flower stands and artisan crafts.  There was also a folk band in the pavilion who’s CDs I ended up buying.  The Little was looking out from her Baby Bjørn with huge eyes, mesmerized by all the sights, smells and sounds.  I only regret that I didn’t get more photos, because my camera ran out of memory after only three shots.  I came home with more groceries than I could carry.

 SOOOOO many people!

These peppers looked really tasty.

The farmer at this stand said I could slap him if these weren't sweet. 

I might have been a little tempted...

We were also looking for a church and we found a nice one in Old Town at the Downtown Baptist Church.  The people there have been really friendly to us and extremely welcoming.  We’ve only gone to one service and we’ve already been pulled into the choir, young couples group, mommy’s group and prayer meeting.  Every time we walk through a door there’s a whirlwind of smiles, hellos, and invitations.  Not to mention the "Aaaaws" whenever people see the Little peeping out of her carrier.

There was a request to see how David’s sculpture turned out.  I’m not going to lie; it did not fare well in the contest.  First, the judges politely placed a little orange string on the piece to say, “Please get rid of this.”  Then, when the piece did not move, they politely moved it next to the dumpster.  While I admit the piece did not turn out pretty, it was interesting, and I am very proud of David’s creativity and inventiveness.  The form for his sculpture consisted of water-balloons and panty-hose. 

See?  Inventive.

Here are some of the other projects from the competition.

I Promise

To my Little:

Just a minute ago we were talking, and you looked up at me with your little almond shaped eyes with a look that has been engraved in my mind.  You looked so bashful, smiling and blinking as if to say, "Please, will you love me?"  It's a look that I try so hard to capture, but as with all of your looks, it never looks the same in a picture.  I hope it's a face I'll never forget. 

You've grown so much in the two months that I've known you.  At first, all you did was sleep and eat, but now your personality is so vibrant!  You love to talk to me and you try to impress me all the time.  I wish you could know how proud I am of you.

There's so many things you do that I want to remember forever.  Like the way you hold your fists out when your happy, just like you're riding a motorcycle.  And the way that you try to buzz your lips at me, but just end up with a bubbly, slobbery face.  And the little babblings and coos.  I love the way you look when you fall asleep while you are eating.  You are just so happy, you forget what you are doing and drift off into to dreamland.  There's nothing sweeter than feeling you in my arms or snuggled up against my chest.  It's my way of knowing that you love me, to have you content to sleep hearing my heartbeat.

I hear it all the time, to cherish every snuggle, because you'll soon be to independent for it.  I know it's true, and while I want it to last forever, I am so excited to see what kind of person you are.  I want to know the things that excite you and the things you are thinking.  I want to find out all of your talents and encourage you to explore and be imaginative.  I want you to be happy and keep growing happier and more fulfilled.  I know I'll have to give up one joy with every joy gained, so I'm cherishing every moment.

I want you to know that I'm proud of you, that you are special and amazing, and that with courage and discipline, you can do anything.  These things will never change no matter how old you are or what you do.  I will always encourage you to do what's right and to do what you love.  You will always be my most precious gift.

And my answer is yes, I will always, always love you.

Love,
Your Mommy

Remembering

I read this on the bus and it made me a little homesick, thinking of the Willow River falls.

From John Steinbeck's East of Eden:

I remember the five-fingered ferns growing under little waterfalls, bobbing their green fingers as the droplets struck them.  And I remember the smells of the hills, wild azalea and a very distant skunk and the sweet cloy of lupin and horse sweat on harness.  I remember the sweeping lovely dance of high buzzards against the sky and Tom looking long up at them, but I can't remember that he ever said anything about them.  I remember holding the bright of a line while Tom drove pegs and braided a splice.  I remember the smell of crushed ferns in the creel and the delicate sweet odor of fresh damp rainbow trout lying so prettily on the green bed.  And finally I can remember coming back to the rig and pouring rolled barley into the leather feedbag and buckling it over the horse's head behind the ears.  And I have no sound of his voice or words in my ear; he is dark and silent and hugely warm in my memory.

More to Love

Yesterday I spent the entire day taking pictures.  I felt it would only be fair to you.  So I walked up and down every single street several times, looking like a tourist shooting every cute and historic thing I could find.  I won’t need to take any more for at least a few posts.

So now I can offer an expanded view of our Condo.

Here’s our lovely flower-lined path.

 

Yes, we are classy.  We have French doors.

 Our kitchen.

(No roaches!!!!)

Can you guess which one is ours?

Debut

Well, we’re all settled in Alexandria.  I came with the Little in September and met David at the airport.

David had already set the house up neatly and put all of our furniture in order.  The apartment ended up being far bigger than anticipated.  All that we lacked upon arrival was groceries and furniture to fill our huge apartment.  

It’s about 30-minutes to Washington DC on the train.  I never really expected to enjoy riding the bus as much as I do.  I have a pretty short temper, and driving doesn’t really make it any better, so not having to drive anywhere has relieved a lot of stress.  The Little and I have been out everyday so far.  There’s not an inch of King Street that hasn’t touched my feet between the Metro Station and the Potomac River.

Old Town Alexandria is really cool.  It reminds me of an older, bigger Stillwater, MN, or a less collegey St. Andrews, Scotland.  All of the shops are very pricey, either because of all the tourists, or the rich people that can afford to live in the fancy, historic row houses.  One of the down-sides of the city are the scarcity of parks, or any outdoor public area.  Of course, I can’t expect every place to be as green as the Midwest.  I do love the walkability of Old Town, and that I’ll be more likely to have a good conversation with a friendly stranger.  Most people are very nice and talk to you just like you’re their next-door-neighbor.

My first day in Old Town started with an early bus in with David, and a long walk down Washington Ave to Ace Hardware.  Later, I had my first taste of Alexandrian coffee at Misha’s.  It’s a nice neighborhood shop that roasts it’s own coffee, and the closest kin to Dunn Bros I could find.  I walked for hours clear down King Street to the riverfront and back again to see David.  He was pouring a concrete sculpture as a part of a competition at his school.  It was pretty fun to watch.  I heard a lot of comments about what his looked like, but I would never repeat them.  I’ll just say, David has a very playful imagination.

In the meantime, the Little keeps getting stronger and smarter.  She has been holding her head up on her own a lot.  She started swatting at her toys on Monday and grabbing them on Wednesday.  Then on Friday she rolled over from her tummy and didn’t even cry about it, then buzzed her lips like I do at her.  I can almost see her cleverness growing through her sparkly round eyes.  I’m starting to realize that feeling of not wanting her to grow up any faster.  It just occurred to me yesterday that she’ll never be this little again, and she will probably want to snuggle less and less.  I don’t know what I’ll do when I can’t snuggle her any more.  But her personality grows and grows everyday too.  I’m excited to hear what she’ll have to say when she can talk, but I can wait.

First Days

I've been meaning to start this blog for my family and friends for over four months, and I still don't have time to write a proper post.  So in the meantime, here's some photos...

Talking to Mom in the car

One Month

Two Months