Dear Baby Jane- Happy Second Birthday

Dear Baby Jane,

Today as someone asked me how old you were, I heard myself respond, she'll be two tomorrow." And I almost gasped out loud.  How is that possible?  Just yesterday you were growing inside my tummy. It's was you and me kid! And now, two years later, it's all about you.  

You are so joyous and expressive. When you hear us describe what you did at school like "today the children went outside and explored their mud kitchen..." your face lights up as if you were there. If we ask you to roar like a tiger, you grin, wide-eyed and in a soft hush, with mouth open wide say, "whawhhhh..."  There is no R in your roar. For now, it is mellowed by a slurry wh sound but it is no less ferocious!

You love to read books.  You can choose Madeline off the shelf just by looking at the spine and you giggle when she tells the tiger, " poo-pooh!"  You love to read about the big ole caterpillar and can identify everything he ate from chocolate cake to shawami (salami). And if we say, "he ate the plums BUT..." You will answer, "he's still hungry."  And we smile and laugh to one another.

You love your friends at school.  Your teachers say that you are smart and kind and very much a leader.  And for that I am so thankful. Every morning on our way to school I ask you to raise your hand if you are four things...  Smart, kind, sweet, and funny.  And every morning you raise your hand and repeat each one. I hope that you always remember that these are the qualities that represent you. Your beauty is inherent.  You choose to be the others. Life is full of choices, but if you choose to be these things, you will be an amazing young woman.

I love you more than chocolate cake and salami.  I love you more than Elmo and Madeline.  In fact, baby Jane, I love you more than anything I've ever loved. You are the greatest thing I have ever done.

And as I sit here in Chicago returning from a work conference wishing I could kiss your one year old cheeks one more time, I want you to know that you are in fact the most important thing in our life.  At the end of mine, I may never be known as the worlds greatest CPA but I hope you consider me the worlds greatest mom.

Two years ago, you stole my heart. After many years I found myself praying again because there was no doubt in my mind that you were a gift from God.

I love you through and through my sweet baby girl.  Happy second birthday,

Mommy

Well, Hello October!

Anne of Green Gables really got it right!

Jane is in love with all fall decorations.  She thinks "punkins" are very fun!  And she loves to point at black cats and say, "Hi kitty cat, meowwww."  

My Thoughts on Making Marriage Work, Jane's First Day of School, and a Whole Lot of GIVEAWAYS!!

Yesterday, I contributed a post on the New Orleans Moms Blog about making marriage work (even after baby) that I hope you find interesting.  You can find it HERE.  I'd love to hear what your secrets are to keeping a happy marriage!!!

Also, the NOMB has some AMAZING giveaways going on right now.  You can find out more about how you can enter to win HERE!!

Today was Jane's first day of the new school year.  Every year on our first day of school, my parents would take us to our favorite donut shop for a treat.  It was something I looked forward to each and every year.  Since Jane loves croissants, I took her to our favorite local bakery for a delicious flaky pastry.

She's still in Pre-K1, but she's in the older ones this year.  When we arrived today, her friend Charlotte ran up to her and hugged her and said, "Hi, Jane! Hi, Jane!"  Talk about getting all teary eyed!  It was soooo sweet.  Jane was so excited to see her too.  It made me feel good all day to know she was happy and secure and in a place where she loves to be.  

Tasty Tuesdays: Nectarine, Basil, and Jalapeño Salsa

I have mentioned the Hollygrove Market and Farm a few times, but I seriously cannot say how much I love this amazing New Orleans community.  One of my favorite parts of the week is checking their website to see "What's in the Box?" for that week.  Sometimes I run out of ideas for creating new dishes, but when I read their list of locally grown produce, I find myself desiring to try to things and new flavor combinations.  

Yesterday, when we stopped in to get our box which included, pecans, okra, creole tomatoes, shitake mushrooms, apples, arugula, and fresh herbs.  They also had some beautifully ripe nectarines.  I grab a handful and added them to my box.  

I originally planned to snack on them at work, but remembering how messy that can get, I thought I might search around for some other uses for them.  That is when I ran across an amazing looking recipe for a Nectarine Basil Salsa.  In its ingredients list were most of the things I had picked up from the market and a few I had left over from the week before. 

We chose to serve the salsa over grilled chicken and mixed greens.  It was a perfectly delicious and flavorful meal!!

Nectarine, Basil, and Jalapeño Salsa

as Adapted by me from Pinch of Yum

Prep time:  10 mins

Total time:  40 mins

Serves: 2-4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 ripe, juicy nectarines

• 2½ tablespoons very finely diced red onion

• 1½ teaspoons minced jalapeno (seeds and ribs removed)

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1½ teaspoon sugar (optional)

• 8 fresh basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

Dice the nectarines into cubes.

Stir in jalapeno and red onions until well mixed.

Add lemon juice and sugar.

Cut 6 large basil leaves into thin ribbons and add to mixture.

Refrigerate for thirty minutes.

This salsa would pair well with chicken, pork, or fish. 

I strained the salsa over a fine mesh sieve.  To the juice, I added a dash of champagne vinegar and two tablespoons of olive oil.  It made a delicious, bright, and slightly vinaigrette that we used to top the salad greens.

This was one of the best meals we have made in a long time.  It helped me conquer my fear of cooking with jalapeños!!  I hope you can find some perfectly ripe nectarines and give this a try.

I Wish We All Could Be California Girls

We spent the last week in sunny California for a family wedding.  We spent the first four days at a house my husband's family rented.  It is the kind of house you dream of spending time in.  It was 6,000 square feet of luxury and included the most spectacular infinity pool and a hot tub.  

I have always been more of a pool than beach lover.  And let me tell you, I loved this pool.  We spent most of our time in it or lounging around it.  For someone like me who has trouble relaxing, who finds her mind racing most of the day, I struggle with laid back vacations.  I always want to get out and do something new or see something different, but for the first time in a long time, I felt at peace with nothing but a warm pool, cool breeze, and good family around me.  There were moments where I couldn't imagine a life outside of this peaceful respite.  And when we left, I found the only thing better was to spend three days with just Mark and Jane at the Hotel Del Coronado.

It's the kind of vacation you don't want to end.  But, aren't those the best ones?  I always feel solemn at the end of a vacation. It's the same feeling I have on New Years Eve. That feeling that you just aren't ready for things to come to an end.  That these events mark the timeline of our lives and its all just moving so fast. On our next summer vacation, Jane will be one year older, as will we. On this trip, she stills showed signs of being my sweet baby girl.  She still raises her arms at me when she falls in the sand.  She still looks to me for my excited approval when she splashes her tiny feet in the pool.  But, next summer, she'll be a big girl. Knowing that, the end of this trip made me long for the seemingly endless days of summer to slow down just a little.  Just so I can watch her play in the sand with the naive bliss of a toddler who finds it infinitely amusing to watch it spill through her tiny little hands.  

New York Family Weekend: By Day and By Night

We spent the weekend in New York City! There was a moment a few weeks ago when I thought that I should stay home and let Mark and Jane go.  I am a bit swamped at work and thought it would give me a little space and time to work overtime.  I am SOOOOO glad that I went.  It was just the break I needed.  We spent such amazing family time together this weekend.  We certainly experienced the two sides of NYC, the day and the night!!

We had lunch at Pier i Cafe which overlooks the Hudson.  It was the very best lunch spot for a large group that included several kids.  You order at the counter and the foods is ready pretty quickly.  It's easy, but the menu is also fairly sophisticated.  Jane munched on french fries and an all beef hot dog while Mark and I delighted in a lobster roll.  The view was spectacular and there was a wonderful playground just a few feet away where the kids could escape to if they needed a little escape from the table. 

We walked through Washington Square Park and stopped to look at the fountain.  Jane loved feeling the water sprinkle in her hair!  She would shout "rain!!" at the top of her lungs.  The sun was hitting the sprays of the fountain in such a way as to create the most beautiful rainbow.  Jane couldn't get enough of it!

As is our family tradition now, we spend the mornings swinging in Tompkins Square Park.  I think Jane will grow up thinking that NYC is the place where you go to swing everyday!

Mark, Jane, and I had the tastiest lunch at Blue Ribbon Bakery.  I had the egg salad sandwich and Mark had the burger, but the best order of all came by way of Jane.  We ordered her a grilled cheese sandwich and it took all of our restraint not to eat it for her!!

As many fun memories as we made during our days there, we also found time to spend with my brothers and sisters in law.  We had a fabulous meal at Lafayette on Friday night followed the next evening by one at Empellon Cocina.   That was also where I discovered I actually like tequila! I had the pineapple and cilantro margarita and found it to be the tastiest cocktail I have had in a long time!

Oh Hap-pee Day! Jane Pee Pees on the Potty!!!

 

Jane is getting so big so fast!  Just check out her PONYTAIL!!!  I am unable to take her baby mullet any longer, but I am just not ready to cut her hair so the pony is the only solution that works.  But, it makes her look sooooo grown up...

 

Back to the hot topic of the day.  Jane's pee pee.  I recently read an article about the dangers of blogging about our children and how later on in life they may not appreciate us sharing the details of their trials and tribulations on the wild wild world of web.  This is certainly one of those stories, but I just can't help it.  I'm so excited.

 

For several weeks now, Jane has been fascinated with the potty.  I started taking her with me when I went to the potty so that she could understand what the potty does.  She constantly mimics me (makeup application, teeth brushing), so I figured this would be a great way for her to learn.  Sure enough, she was soon telling anyone who would listen, "I poo poo.  I pobby.  Peeeeece."  That translates to "Even though I just pooped my diaper I still really want to sit on the potty like a big girl, please."

 

So, any time Jane would say I poo poo or I pobby, we would take her into the bathroom and let her sit on the commode.  She would get a few squares of tissue and drop it into the toilet and flush and feel very proud.  Until the last couple of weeks, however, this routine was just fun for her and interesting for us to observe.  Recently, it became more and more apparent that she was connecting the sensation of having to potty with telling us she had to.  But, we could never make it in time for her to avoid the use of her diaper.

 

UNTIL...  Last night we were chatting with her, and she suddenly looked up and shouted "I pobby, I pobby!"  She held her diaper in a way that indicated she really did have to go.  So we ran into the bathroom, sat her on the potty, and sure enough, she pee pee'd on the potty!!!!  Ahhh!!  She was not nearly as excited as I was, because she thinks she has been doing that for weeks, but this time it wasn't just pretend. 

 

When we were done flushing and washing hands, she got to run to Mark and tell him, "I deed it. I deed it!"  It was such a huge moment in our house!

 

She is by no means potty trained, but it is so cool to see her brain processing things like this.  Twenty months ago, I had no idea that another person's potty habits could make me this happy!!

 

I don't know what steps to take from here?  I guess we should get her a baby potty??  Suggestions?  What worked for you?

In The Sunday Summer Sun

Today we spent the morning at our club's pool.  It was one of those happy days that makes you long for a never ending summer.  Jane loves the water and fresh squeezed lemonade and sun hats.  How perfect!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Sunday!

Like Father Like Daughter

 

 

 

Mark's Mom recently sent us a box of photos from his childhood.  We spent about an hour last night going through all of them.  It was a hoot!!

 

 

Whenever Mark, Jane, and I are together people like to ask who she looks like.  Until last night, I always thought that she just looked like Jane.  I could never really identify our specific traits to hers.  Then we found some pictures of Mark and his brothers from when they were about her age now, and oh my goodness!!!  There is just so much of a resemblence!!!

 

 Now, if only she had inherited Mark's even temperment!!

It's Not That Kind of Wedding; It's Even Better

  For the many years I have written this blog, I have stayed away from all things political.  But, that's just the thing about love, I've never found it to be defined as such.  In fact, I think the two things are completely unrelated. What I know about love is that it is a feeling and an emotion and when you see it, you know.  It can be seen in a laugh and in a smile.  And when it is the really good kind, it moves everyone who sees it to tears. And when I saw the images (taken by Frances Iacuzzi) from a dear friend's wedding to her partner, all I know is that love has perhaps never been captured as purely or as honestly as it was on the day they were married.

Such a fun alternative to a wishing well!

Can you say yum? I love the specialty cocktails.  They were created by the brides who have a business called MiddleBar.  They make hand crafted cocktails and just recently starting selling their MiddleBar Mary mix HERE to those in the Los Angeles area.

Like I said, it can be seen in a laugh or in a smile.  And sometimes, just seeing two people obviously in love, who choose to commit their lives to one other, it brings a tear to your eye.

No, it wasn't that kind of wedding.  But, that's what is so special about it.  It was you. And it was beautiful.  And there is no way something so beautiful could possibly be as ugly as politics.

Are You Considering Tubes for Your Little One? I've Got Answers to Your Pressing Questions!

 

I'm writing over at the New Orleans Moms Blog today.  The topic: everything you needed to know about our experience with Jane's tubes and adenoid removal procedure.

 

I hope you'll come by and share your experience or your questions and concerns!

 

Click HERE to access the article.

Girls Night In...

It is very rare that I have an evening to myself, but tonight is one of those nights.  I used to hate having the house to myself, but that has changed since having Jane. 

Don't get me wrong, I love the pitter patters, the giggles, and even the cries.  But, every once in a while, Momma needs a few hours to sip some wine, eat some dinner, and watch guilty pleasure tv.

Tonight, Jane asked to go "nite-nite"right after she ate dinner.  I couldn't believe my ears!  Poor thing must have had way too much fun at camp today.  Since she was going to be going down early, I encouraged Mark to go catch a showing of Superman. 

So what have I been up to?!

I made this amazing dish from Cooking Light...  Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Bacon, and Chickpeas

Then I have been watching tonight's episode of The Bachelorette.  Such juicy gossip!!!  

Observations: Just when I felt bad for Ben, he laughed like a psycho in the limo.  Michael is a total dbag.   But, I bet he's a heckuva prosecutor.  Chris is adorable!

Are you watching?  Who are you pulling for?

What's your favorite alone time activity?

Stairway to Heaven

This spring, we started making a few subtle updates to our house.  We are now at a point where we have to decide what's next.  While I am currently obsessed with painting our kitchen cabinets and adding a backsplash, I don't think we're ready for anything quite that substantial.  

One thing I have really been considering is adding a pop of color on our staircase.  I saw this picture and fell in love with the idea.

From the hombre to the color to the cute little puppy, I LOVE this look.  

The only thing I worry about is that our staircase is made of barge board.  It was the wood used in making ships that would bring goods down the Mississippi River to New Orleans.  When the ships got here, they would take them apart and use them for construction.  It is beautiful and old, and I worry about ruining it with a coat of paint.  But, there is something irresistible about that staircase!!!

What do you think?

Hello from Aspen, CO

Well hello!!  I am writing to you from the foot of Ajax Mountain.  When we left New Orleans temperatures were reaching the very high eighties and the humidity was ridiculously high.  that fact makes this trip even more of a vacation than it otherwise would have been.

 

I have such fond memories of this place.  I nannied for an amazing family who had a house here.  It was here that I first saw snow, that I first put on a pair of skies, that I first understood John Denver.  There is nothing more beautiful than Aspen in the winter other than Aspen in the summer. 

 

 

There is so much to do.  We have gone on a few hikes.  Today we plan to go to Maroon Bells to explore these two beautiful peaks. 

 

Here are a few shots of our trip so far.  Please take note that we found Jane the perfect fedora and she loves it!  That's my girl!!

 

 

 



 

 

Summer Products I Am Loving

It's official.  Summer has arrived in New Orleans.  This weekend was a hot one.  We had a few summer showers followed by the kind of steamy atmosphere a facialist would love to have.

Here are a few summer products I am loving...

Aren't these ceramic ice cream cones adorable?  They are the perfect no-drip solution!

This Milly Lobster Print Canvas Bag is perfect for the beach or a picnic.  

Wouldn't these monogrammed coasters be perfect for your porch or deck furniture for your next cookout?  

This Anne Cole Knit Tunic actually had me excited about putting on a swimsuit.  It is bright and cheery and really flattering without making you feel totally covered up!

Aren't these striped pajamas adorable?  I cannot sleep in pants, but this takes the traditional set and makes them summer weather friendly!

What summer products are you loving?

Jane's Last Day of School

Today was Jane's last day of school.  Ironically, I am more emotional about her last day than her first.  When she crawled into the pre-k one program back in November, she was just a baby.  She was a clean slate ready to take in the world as it was presented to her. Today, she ran into the arms of her teachers a little girl who has grown to love learning in a way I could have never taught her.  For that, I am truly and honestly forever grateful.  

Our Outdoor Furniture Arrived Today!!!

 In October, we turned our yard from an overgrown and dilapidated jungle into a peaceful oasis with the help of Garden Gate.  It was the beginning of the home improvement projects we decided we'd like to take on over the course of a year.  

Finally, tonight, after two and a half months of waiting, our furniture arrived!!  We ordered the Antibes collection in graphite from Restoration Hardware during a 30% off sale.  The pieces were a splurge, but they are so well made.  I love the sunbrella fabric on the cushions as well.  It is soft and cozy while still made for our muggy climate.

Cheers from our yard to yours!

A Sad and Heavy Heart

I had planned to share all of the details from our trip to NYC, but I just don't have the heart to.  I am so sad for the people of Oklahoma, like I'm sure all of you are.  To all of them, we are praying for you and thinking of you constantly.  My you find a way to find peace in the midst of such chaos.

Trendy Wednesday: Rag and Bone's Buckley Open Toe Boot for Mother's Day

As we walked along Houston last week in NYC, I stopped in my tracks when I saw these Rag and Bone booties.  They are so not my normal style, but there was something about them that I just loved.  The color is such a great neutral that'll go with black, navy, white, or denim.  And, the open toe paired with the chunky heel allows them to work with shorts and a great dress.

I think Mark saw just how much I loved them, and he made my mother's day wish come true.  I broke them in in NYC, and I have to say they have gotten lots of compliments!

What do you think?

Did you get or give a great Mom's Day gift?