At Last…

Sort of like the song itself, I’ve dreamed of this weekend for so long. We were home, it was cold and wet outside, but warm and pleasant inside the house. First things first… we’re all stocked up on groceries and the tall list of things I had to cook have all materialized and are waiting to be eaten over the course of the coming week.

Besides cooking and crafting, I managed to take Sophia out to the mall. I wouldn’t usually brag about a mall excursion but Saturday was rainy but warm, and she’s been cooped up all week long. I did it more for a change of scenery than anything. I suppose that I could have taken her to a children’s activity but nothing is scarier than a group of kids with runny noses and sore throats. The mall is just a short ten minute ride away and as you know, Sophia is a terrible carseat rider. At first we thought it was motion sickness, but I am starting to think it may be a mean case of anxiety over being restrained. Anyway, the mall excursion started with tears and a tantrum signaling Sophia’s unwillingness to get into the carseat. After much cajoling and, I am not too proud to admit it–bribery, I finally got a stoic and resigned Sophia on her way to the mall where there were cookies and balloons. Our mission was to just window shop and get out of the house; That much was accomplished. In the end, she didn’t want to leave the mall… but lunch and these chocolate covered marshmallows (home made, of course) waited for us at home.

Aside from these indulgences which were requested by Sophia after watching George devour them on Curious George, we also made

a lamb roast, grown up tater tots with chimichurri sauce, stuffed peppers concluding our culinary activities with made-from-scratch breakfast this morning:

My sister got us a waffle maker and we finally whipped up a batch. You’re going to think this is crazy, but I’ve only had fresh home-made waffles maybe three or four times in my life. These were definitely the best! Sophia agreed … devouring a full quarter waffle :-). All those carbs must have been exactly what she needed to rouse up her inner artist.