 | Diary Navigation:
|
May 17, 2005
It has been about as long as I’ve ever gone since I wrote an entry, particularly given that the last update I posted was really trying to sort through the loss of my friend. As I sit down to write I am a bit at a loss as to where to start, so I think I’ll just jump back in, try to catch up and see if I can find my rhythm again. Mostly right now what is on my mind is the mundane, the random. I’m not quite ready to write about my friend’s funeral – I’m not sure that will ever be a public entry. I suppose it goes without saying it was one of the saddest things I’ve experienced in awhile. The lone bright spot was spending time with my very good friend Todd, who came back for the funeral. Oh, and I guess I did sort of enjoy the mini-high school reunion that occurred (even though I have never attended an ACTUAL reunion) because I liked ‘showing off’ my beautiful, wonderful family.
I got my hair cut (and highlighted) last Monday and I’m very pleased with it. I got about 3 -4 inches cut off, so it just brushes my shoulders. I can still scrape it into a ponytail for the gym or rowing. My hairdresser talked me out of bangs, but put soft layers around my face. The highlights are ‘apricot’ and quite warm. Since my pregnancy my hair has become much curlier. Getting rid of that much bulk has made the curl come out even more. I’ve actually been able to wash it, put some product in and go. It has a curly, beachy look – some people have even asked me if I got a perm. (Um, no) But it is also easier to blow out if I want to wear it straight. Color me pleased. As is par for the course, I will probably let it grow again for the fall. I can’t seem to shake the look of a nice, long, sleek pontytail, black turtleneck, blue jeans and black boots. It’s my uniform.
Our little Patito has really begun to internalize using short sentences to communicate. I honestly think a big portion of this is moving up a room at daycare – spending her days with older kids. Her little sentences are becoming longer, more understandable and less halting. We had dinner with my parents and grandmother Sunday evening and they commented that she was talking even more than she was last week, so I’m glad we’re not the only people who have noticed it. Another completely adorable thing Ava, instigated by John, has started doing is growling her words like a lion. Saaandaaahls…. She is continuing her phase of pointing out every object she knows and recognizes all the time. Driving her into daycare is a hoot – who knew there were so many puppies, buses, hats, sky, trees, clouds, apples (the Applebees sign) between our house and daycare? One more development kinds of things Ava has also started to run, really run. Her running is typically prefaced with an announcement that she is going to ‘run fast’ and then takes off. She tends to crank up her arm and get it going like a little piston for extra speed. I just love watching her take off like that, still kind of toddly, but stronger and surer of herself all the time. It is simply astonishing to me that two years ago she wasn’t even born and now she is running and talking. I have no doubt that children are precious to their parents at every phase of their development, so don’t read this wrong, but this phase is the most fun I’ve had with my girl.
Ava absolutely loves music. Her favorites, are, of course, the ubiquitous Rafi CDs, but she also enjoys listening to the music we play in our house. The other night we were playing ‘Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits’ and she went NUTS when ‘Ceclia’ came on. She loves to dance (I use the term loosely) and she’ll mimic about anything we do. Naturally she adds her own twirls and embellishments. John has started dancing with her, with Ava’s feet on top of his. How many of us did that with our own fathers? She loves it and I am certain this will be a great delight until she starts middle school and we suddenly become very, very embarrassing.
Lest you think this entry is going to be all about my super cute girl, let me tell you about our trip to Costco Saturday. The afternoon started off fine. We went to Sears to investigate refrigerators. We have a nice side by side refrigerator/freezer with one lone problem. Being the foodies/cook at home types our refrigerator is pretty stocked and we never seem to have enough room in the ‘fridge for our beverages. We are beverage people – bottled water, fizzy water, diet Coke, Crystal Light, beer, wine…. We end up leaving our sodas and water room temperature, stacked in their cases in a corner of our kitchen floor. I hate that for many, many reasons. This weekend we bought the largest, ‘dorm sized’ ‘fridge Sears sells – it is actually quite large, no freezer. It will easily hold our beverages, back up gallons of milk and some snack-y items. I am quite pleased. I cleaned out our mud room and there is plenty of space for it. They had freezers in similar sizes that peaked my interest, but we don’t tend to have the same freezer space problems. But I digress. Ava was a delight during the purchase of the mini-refrigerator so we decided to go to Costco for our now weekly shopping excursion.
Ava, being nearly two, has decided she is way to big to ride in the cart the way children are ‘supposed’ to ride in the cart. She either wants to help push the cart or ride in the back portion where you put the case of Asian Cracker snack mix you can’t live without. That is, until she spies the gianourmous swing set up in Costco, on some sort of pedestal making it visible from nearly every part of the store. Ava caught sight of the swing and that was it. Swing, swing, swing, mama, peese, swing, slide, mama…. Then she starts to cry that horrible piercing, toddler tantrum cry. Her behavior was enough to make us want to abandon the cart and come back another day. We were helped somewhat by the snack items they had scattered about the store. We made three trips to the station handing out Healthy Choice fudgesicles. So get this mental picture, Ava is still crying, she has fudgesicle all over her face, her nose is running, she’s got yogurt in her hair and her parents are a bit frazzled. We head to the check out and the very, very helpful cashier mentions that maybe Ava needs a nap. No, she’s already had a nap today. Well, maybe she doesn’t feel good? No, she’s been on antibiotics for an ear infection for five days and we gave her Motrin this morning. I think to myself, why am I explaining this to this cashier? Of course we struggle out of Costco, get to the car and Ava is immediately quiet and content to suck her thumb and listen to music. She barely makes a peep the whole drive home. I wish I could figure out the trigger to determine why she is sometimes an angel on these types of outings – tons of fun, engaged, chatty and other times a total nightmare. This trip came after a good nap, a snack and some time outside. I blame the swing set.
Speaking of swing sets – we’ve come to a bit of a resolution on the great swing set quest. We have decided not to spend the $600 or so that it would cost to get the one we want/like. It comes down to this – our backyard neighbors have a nice swing set. It is literally 10 feet from where we would set up our own. They have been very gracious with Ava using the swing set – we saw them this weekend when we were out on a walk and they said ‘are you coming over to swing later?’ They expressed sincere wonder at our comment that we were thinking of buying a swing set and many, many of the neighbor kids seem to gather there. But I would like to do something to thank them for their hospitality. We don’t know them well – any ideas? So now instead of the swing set I think we might get Ava a nice sandbox/water table so she can have an outdoor activity at our house. Any other thoughts? Anyone have one of those playhouses? (More large molded plastic) Ava seems to love anything that seems like a fort.
I have several major events coming in the next few weeks that are making me want to be my most fabulous self. There is no better motivator to get to the gym than order a new bikini (an adorable ice pink halter from J Crew) AND the realization that I am soon to spend 4 hours at a party celebrating Meghan’s graduation with John’s ex wife. The plans for Meghan’s graduation are coming along nicely and I do think it will be a good party. Meghan seems honestly relieved and grateful that her mother and I are working together on this and it has actually been pretty pleasant. That doesn’t mean I don’t have any anxiety about the prospect of socializing with John’s ex-wife, mingling our families and spending that much time at her house. I guess I’m not that much of a grown up, although I do think it is critically important that the day be focused on a celebration for Meghan and have as little anxiety as possible. Generally speaking, in my world, that means a new outfit and a pedicure. The weekend after Meg’s graduation I am heading off for a girly weekend in Phoenix. (Hence the new bikini) Not that the wonderful women I’m spending the weekend with care one hoot about the flatness of my stomach, but I do want to again, be my most fabulous self.
I have discovered some new (to me) products that I love and want to pass on to the legions of people who no doubt follow this diary:
Jergens Natural Glow lotion – Let me start by saying I am not a big fan of self-tanners. It seems like every time I’ve tried them I wind up orangy, streaky with weird mottled coloration around my ankles, knees and between my fingers. I approached the Jergens Natural Glow lotion a bit skeptically. As near as I can tell it has a very light bit of self-tanner in the lotion. You use it every day, like a lotion and it builds a light color. I am a pretty fair skinned girl. I started using it and am pleasantly surprised by the results. You wouldn’t mistake me for a woman who has spent time in Jamaica, don’t get me wrong. But what it does do is kind of knock out the pale. For example, I wore a just-below-the-knee skirt with no nylons to work last week and didn’t blind anybody with my white, white legs. I am really only using the lotion on my legs, which are always more pale than anything on my body. I use the lotion every other day or so, but I think once I get some actual sun on my body I will start using it everyday. It would appear this will be a very nice enhancer/extender for a little summer tan. The smell is fine (another criticism of past self-tanning experiences) but the smell is the other reason why I’ve really only been using it on my legs.
Neutrogena Build a Tan for faces – Ditto for this face lotion. I have been using it every other day or so and it does a nice job of knocking out the pale in my skin without being too obvious. I am definitely going to keep this one going through out the winter. I need less make up, people are commenting that I look ‘great’ ‘healthy’ but it is VERY subtle. Not so much a tan as it is a knock out the pale.
Neutrogena also has this new product for nails that I love, love, love. I’m going to go buy like eight tubes of the stuff just in case they stop making it. I think it’s called healthy nail/nail enhancer or something. I have it in Pearl Sheen. It is an essentially odorless, instant dry sheen that you put on daily. (I do it in the morning while my computer loads up) It doesn’t wear like polish, it wears off evenly (and probably, really daily) and doesn’t look like polish – it has a nice shine, a little glisten and basically makes your nails look kept, but not at all lacquered. I will say, I have horrible hands. They are torn to bits by rowing (the calluses and sores are not so pretty) I have a tendency to nibble on my nails, which this product helps remind me not to do. What it does is make my nails look groomed, but not necessarily ‘done.’ I am the hugest fan in the world of a great pedicure, but have never been able to manage to make a manicure last longer than a day. Thank you Neutrogena!!!
I’m going to close this rambling entry with a recipe for a Greek Orzo I got from a friend (I have no idea where she got it) that I just love. Ava gobbles it up too. It can be a very good, meatless entrée, but I also like to cook up a little chicken breast and use this as a side. It is a snap and most of the things in it are pantry items.
Thanks for reading—
--Kate
GREEK ORZO
1 small onion - chopped (I use a medium)
1 clove garlic - minced (I sometimes use the pre-chopped you get in a jar and I use 2-3 tbsp)
1 tsp olive oil
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes - drained
1 tbsp capers - drained (Once again I use more – usually like 2-3 T)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I use more - I like it spicy)
1 c orzo pasta - unprepared (You can also use rosamarina pasta - basically the same)
1/3 c crumbled feta cheese (I use the whole 4 oz package because I LOVE feta)
In a large no-stick frying pan, over medium heat saute onions and garlic in oil for 5 minutes or until the onions are tender. Add tomatoes, capers, oregano, sage, black pepper, and pepper flakes. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until most of liquid given off by tomatoes has evaporated.
At the same time, cook orzo in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and add to pan. Stir in the feta and cook for 1 minute or until feta starts to melt
 |  |
|
want to keep a diary on iParenting?
Authoring a diary on the iParenting network allows you to chronicle your family's story, preserving it for years to come. It's also a great way to get the most out of the iParenting community. Click here to start...
|
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families. 
